In April this year, Japan's hot rolled plate and sheet shipments decreased by 10.2 percent compared to the previous month and remained almost stable compared to the previous year, amounting to 862,284 metric tons. 73.8 percent of shipments were made to the domestic market, while the remaining 26.2 percent were made to the export markets, according to the Japan Iron and Steel Federation (JISF) data. In April, Japan's hot rolled plate and sheet production amounted to 845,377 mt, down 6.3 percent month on month and was down six percent year on year.
In April, Japan's hot rolled strip shipments amounted to 1.48 million mt, down 17.3 percent from the previous month and increasing by 10.1 percent year on year. 27 percent of shipments were made to the domestic market, while the remaining 73 percent were made to the export markets. In April, Japan's hot rolled strip production amounted to 1.47 million mt, down 18.3 percent month on month and rising by 15.2 percent year on year.